As there are rumors that some are in circulation, Nigeria is warning people about fake coronavirus vaccines.
On Friday, the National Food Drug and Administration Regulation Agency of Nigeria urged the public to be aware of it.
It claimed that “Covid-like illnesses or other serious diseases that could kill.” can be caused by fake vaccines.
It also said the body had not approved any vaccine.
In March, 10 million genuine doses of vaccines are planned, and the authorities are working on one.
It was also unclear if the batch will be sponsored by the African Union (AU) or as part of COVAX, which connects private partners with the World Health Organization (WHO) to work towards pooled procurement and fair distribution.
In Nigeria, black market coronavirus experiments flourished last year because people were unable to be exposed to compulsory quarantine.
It aims to vaccinate 40 percent of the population in 2021, Nigeria has said.
But the challenges of transporting and storing vaccines for many millions of people are enormous in a country where adequate hospital facilities are lacking.
Nigeria is the most populous nation in Africa and has officially reported some 104,000 COVID-19 cases with more than 1,300 deaths.
But the real toll is expected to be higher as the number of tests is low.
Cases have risen sharply since the end of November, notably in the economic capital Lagos, a city of about 20 million people. The death rate has also increased.
A variant strain of coronavirus has been discovered in recent months but it remains unclear whether it is more contagious or deadly.
But in a nation where sufficient hospital services are lacking, the complexities of delivering and storing vaccines for many millions of people are immense.
Nigeria is the most populated nation in Africa and has officially registered some 104,000 COVID-19 cases with more than 1,300 deaths.
But as the number of tests is low, the actual toll is estimated to be higher.
Since the end of November, cases have risen dramatically, in particular in the economic capital of Lagos, a city of about 20 million people. Also, the mortality rate has risen.
A variant strain of coronavirus has been discovered in recent months, but whether it is more infectious or lethal remains unknown.
